


In the Shadow of the Warrior

by ccaaii



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, I have a lot of feelings about Angel, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Missing Scene, Torture, references to canonical character death/implied death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-28 20:51:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8462509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ccaaii/pseuds/ccaaii
Summary: Interactions between Lilith and Jack while she is captured and charging the vault key. What happens around the transmissions you receive playing the level?





	

**Author's Note:**

> The italics are the dialog from in game (which should be at least more or less correct). 
> 
> Mostly Lilith's point of view on the final couple of missions when she is Jack's key charger.

_ Lilith: Jack's making me charge the Vault Key. So here's what happens next. You find me. You kill Jack. And if you can't stop me from waking the Warrior? You put a bullet in my head. _

 

Using Angel's preferred method of communication is weird. It’s more like projecting yourself but she doesn't have an Echo – she supposes Angel was never allowed one either, accessing the Echonet is possible but without the comm to interface with it it takes a lot out of you and everything seems to slow down… Angel never seemed to show any effort, she must have had a lot of practice - who knew how long she had been kept like this.

  
  


\---------------------

  
  


_ Jack: Hey, buddy! It’s me, Roland! Let's kill Handsome Jack and then we'll ALL go out for milkshakes! _

_ Jack: Naw, I’m just playing. He’s still really dead. Grabbed his ECHO unit when I left. (Beat) Just wanted to tell you that Lilith is doing a bang-up job charging the Vault Key for me. The Warrior will be awake in no time. _

 

She can see Jack using Roland's Echo and the voice still hits her like a train. The image of the hole in Roland's chest is still seared in her eyes but she can't quite believe it yet. It was too sudden, it couldn't be true… She doesn't have time, she hasn't had any time and that's Jack’s fault. She doesn't even know what happened to Roland's body, she'd had to act fast to transport the vault hunters. She hadn't had time to make sure Roland got back too and they were… alive, they had to be the priority. But she still can't stomach the idea of his body lying forgotten in Control Core Angel – or the darker thought, she'd seen the footage shot in opportunity, if what Jack had done with Bloodwing's body was any indication… she winced. She hadn't even worked out how to tell Mordecai about that yet.

  
  


\------------------------

  
  


_ Jack: I wanna be clear about something. This isn’t about Pandora anymore. It’s about you...and me. I can never replace what you took from me. But murdering your Vault Hunter pals? Destroying that flying city? Hell -- that’s a start. _

 

She glares at him and he smirks.

 

“What you think your city is safe? You think I'd forget that without you it’s defenseless?” He rolls his eyes. “Give me more credit than that. What do you think that moonshot panel is for exactly?”

 

Well, two could play at threatening each other indirectly while talking to someone else over the Echo.

 

_ Lilith: Unghhh...I can feel this thing around my neck sapping me dry. Promise me -- so long as there’s a bullet left in your gun, promise me you’ll make. Jack. Pay. _

 

She glares at him again for good measure. He's just watching her, she hates it but there's nothing she can actually do to stop him like this – this damn collar, the eridium, the key… all of it.

 

Jack watches her for a couple more seconds before clicking his comms on again.

 

_ Jack: Do me a favor. You think about how all of Roland’s training, all his experience counted for nothing once he met me. And ask yourself, if I could kill the wise leader of the Crimson Raiders without breaking a sweat, how hard will it be to kill a psychotic bandit king and a drunken frickin' sniper? _

 

She's sure he sees her wince at Roland's name cause he grins as he says it. He listens on the comms for a few seconds after he stops talking then shrugs when he gets no response… He does look at least a little put out to not get a rise out of them though, she can take some satisfaction in that.

 

He turns back to her then smiles. “How about we try something?” He says menacingly.

 

\--------------------

  
  


_ Jack: Lilith has quite the little mouth on her -- and, as it turns out, when that Eridium is pumping through her body, I can stab her over and over and over and it just heals right back up. I’m told it’s agonizing. Oh, she looks pissed. _

_ Mordecai: son of a bitch -- we’re comin’, Lil. Just hold on. _

 

Jack grinned. “Well, that one got a response,” he commented to her, casually stabbing her again and laughing as she tried to hide how much it hurt. “It’s cute really, pathetic but cute.” He pauses to watch the wound heal up again. “I have to decide which of you three I'm going to kill last. Unfortunately, I can’t make you all watch each other die.”

 

Lilith growls at him. “Why the mask, Jack?” She says mockingly. “It’s just us, I know what's under there.”

 

She's expecting it when he hits her then plunges a knife into her, her skin starts knitting back together almost before he's pulled it out again. “Which of your friends do you think I can make cry first, hey?” He says, his voice low and dangerous. “Cause after I've avenged my daughter and got rid of those child killers, we'll have all the time in the world to find out just how much you three can take of watching each other get hurt. Hey, I'll even take a pause before taking my warrior out into pandora for it that's how much it means to me, that's how much I'm going to enjoy it.” He’s hissing in her ear as she tries to maintain her composure and not give in to the images he’s putting in her head.

 

\--------------

  
  


_ Jack: I want those Vault Hunting bandits to see what I’ve done to this place -- I want it to stand as a testament to their failure. They couldn’t protect New Haven, they couldn’t protect Fyrestone, and they’re sure as hell not gonna protect Sanctuary. _

 

As much as she hates to admit it that hits home, and it’s just an old Echo – something Jack had planned long, long ago. They had failed in Fyrestone there was no way they could pretend they hadn't. They hadn't even been there. They'd been to busy licking their wounds from New Haven - another spectacular catastrophe. They'd been so many casualties, they'd had a plan, they'd known Jack would eventually come after them after what happened on Elpis, they'd seen what the man was really like then. But, even with all the people they'd got out, the death count had been too many, Brick had been captured and they'd had to dig her out of the rubble of the city in the end.

 

They'd still been underprepared for Jack's army and his allies – more powerful now but fewer in number. She'd love to know what happened to the others who were with him on Elpis… or maybe not, maybe she didn't want to know what Jack had done to them – or alternately what they had gone on to do, given what the two he'd brought had become since they last saw them. Nisha and Wilhelm were both dead now. She couldn't say she was sorry but she wondered if their passing had even given Jack pause. She doubted it - he'd more or less sent Wilhelm to his death after all.

 

\-------------------

 

_ Mordecai: If I didn't want Jack dead before, I sure as hell do now _

 

Well, she agreed with that sentiment… that poor, poor girl. There was only so much sympathy you could have for ex-CEOs of companies where murdering your way to the top was tradition if not the rule, but Angel… she had sounded so scared and so goddamn young on top of that.

 

“How can you do that and still think you’re the hero?” She demands of him angrily.

 

“Ha, Tassiter had it coming,” Jack says, barely looking up from the console he was monitoring. He'd got bored with stabbing her, for now at least, but her skin still prickled at the memory of it.

 

“Not him. Angel.” She spat. “Asshole.” She adds for good measure. “And now they've all heard that.”

 

Jack picked up his knife again and approached her, clicking his Echo on as he did.

 

_ Jack: I bet you think I’m a monster. You think I enslaved Angel. But you didn’t see what she did to her mother. I had to restrain Angel’s power. You get that? I had to. _

 

“God… You still want to convince even us you’re the good guy, don’t you?” She was breathing heavily from the strain on her body but decided interfacing with the Echonet was worth it.

 

_ Lilith: And I’m sure he had to exploit her for profit and power, too. Don’t listen, Vault Hunter -- he killed Angel long before you pulled the plug -- _

_ Jack: Don’t you dare speak about my daughter. _

_ Lilith: Uhhn-- _

 

_ \-------------------- _

 

_ Lilith: I can feel Jack’s drills getting closer to the Warrior’s chamber -- you gotta stop Jack, vault hunter. _

_ Brick: Good news, everybody -- I stole the drop barge! Hyperion was no match for my secret punch-you-in-the-face-until-you-die fighting style! When the time comes, we’ll fight our way to the Vault together! _

_ Mordecai: This. Ends. Now. _

 

“You think you can take us all?” She asks tiredly. “Come on, you've seen us in action.”

 

Jack snorts. “Your friends don't scare me. Neither did your boyfriend.”

 

“Really?” She says disbelievingly, deliberately ignoring the comment about Roland, “You picked out four of them.” No response. “Expect you regret that now.”

 

“They're no match for my warrior.” He grins. “I'll deliver the final blow to those murderers myself though. Oh, I am so looking forward to that.”

 

“You've got to wake it first. You heard them they're on their way… how much time do you think you've got?”

 

“Then they aren't a match for you,” He says, chuckling again, “I'll just have you kill them, have you forgotten about that collar?”

 

She stares at him for several seconds. “You can't control me… you couldn't control Angel and you can't control me.” She says in a low voice.

 

“We'll see, shall we?”

 

\--------------------------

 

_ Jack: You feel that? That electricity in the air when you're just aching to murder someone? Haven't felt that in such a long time. _

_ Lilith: You do what you have to to stop him from waking that Warrior. Even if it means takin’ me out. Better dead than a damsel. _

 

Jack sounds way too happy. Sure, they kill people too but never like this, she can't say she's ever been aching to murder someone anyway. But he scoffs when she speaks.

 

“Really? That's what you're going with?” He says. “Better dead than a damsel?” He laughs. “In that case maybe I'll keep you alive.”

 

She glares at him. “Make up your mind.” She says, trying to sound bored and as if the constant draining of energy wasn't affecting her.

 

“Could keep you.” He comments as if she hasn't spoken. “Pet siren could come in handy.”

 

“Fuck you.” She manages.

 

“Ooh, we're nearly there, I think,” Jack says, studying the console. “Better let your friends know.”

 

_ Jack: It’s almost that time, child-killer. Lilith’s nearly charged the Vault Key -- how you feeling, babe? _

_ Lilith: SCREW YOU! Kid, you gotta hurry! _

 

“You really think they can get here?” He asks.

 

“Yes,” She says from between clenched teeth.

 

“Really babe?” Oh, so that nickname was staying then she glared at him again – she could do little else. “Want to make it interesting?” He adds with a grin. “If you're right I'll kill you quickly when we're done like you want, but if I'm right,” He turned to her, his smile growing more dangerous. “I'll keep you alive and have you do my bidding.”

 

She gapes at him. “What the  _ hell _ is that supposed to mean?”

 

He waves a hand. “Oh, you know… those powers of yours are pretty nifty, be useful when I want to fire someone.” He laughs at his own joke. “Then when that's not necessary… I don't know my place could use a clean. How about that? We'd have to get you a new outfit obviously, not those bandit rags you've got on now.”

 

“Is that what you did with Angel?” She says in a low voice.

 

He rounds on her then, strides across and hits her over the face. “Get her name out of your mouth.” He spits. “When I get bored of making you do stuff for me, I'm going to hook you back up to these so you won't die when I start dissecting you to find out what makes you sirens tick. Maybe then that'll make up for what you did to me.”

 

“What  _ I  _ did to  _ you? _ ” She laughs. “Oh, you are so not the wronged party here. You got a scratch to the face, Jack, get over it. Way less than you’ve done to us.”

 

He grabs her back the neck then. “Not for lack of trying though, is it? You killed my daughter.”

 

She meets his eyes her face set. “Go on, choke me. You need me, remember?” The ground rumbles as more power goes into charging the key. He lets go of her and walks back over to his console.

 

_ Jack: You feel that, child-killer? The key’s nearly charged! This world is gonna end! _

 

_ \------------------------- _

 

_ Jack: Nearly there, bandit. Once the Warrior’s awake? Think I’ll smash that flying city of yours. What do you think, Lil? _

_ Lilith: Set me free and you’ll find out. Asshole. _

_ Jack: Ooh. I don’t think Lilith likes that idea. _

 

“I'm looking forward to making you watch it go down.” He muses as he puts the device down.

 

“Ugh,” is all she manages in response initially. “The people there have done nothing to you.”

 

“Well, that's just not true, is it?” Jack says in a low voice.

 

“The civilians are innocent of everything you think we've done,” Lilith says panting.

 

Jack scoffs. “Civilians? Is that what we're calling bandits now? You're delusional.”

 

“People driven out of their homes by you.” Lilith points out.

 

“There’s still people up there who deserve what’s coming to them,” Jack says with a shrug.

 

“Oh, I see,” Lilith says, shutting her eyes. “You’re hung up on Moxxi, and hang anyone else who gets in the way of your revenge.”

 

Jack waves away the words. “It is just a case of tieing up loose ends.”

 

“Ha… Sure. I believe you.”

 

\-------------------

 

_ Mordecai: Dammit -- they’re swarming me, Brick! Just leave me -- keep going! _

_ Brick: Like hell! I gotcha, Mordecai! _

_ Mordecai: No, Brick! NO! _

_ Brick: RrrrAGH! _

_ Brick: Just go, slab! GO!-- _

 

She felt weak from the effects of the eridium and her head was buzzing with the energy building all around her but her head snapped up at Mordecai's voice cutting clear over the current confusion of the echonet. Then winced as Brick predictably ignored his warning to stay back.

 

Jack looks over at her. “Oh dear.” He says, mock concern dripping from his voice. He shrugs. “Guess that bird is more useful than I gave it credit.” Lilith winced. He was probably right - Mordecai would have been able to handle being swarmed with Bloodwing around. 

 

“Don't talk about her like that,” She says tiredly.

 

Jack ignores her. “Still, perhaps your friends are so inept they are beyond hope.” 

 

“Survived this long on this hellhole of a planet,” She snaps.

 

Jack grinned. She was starting to hate that sight. “Not for too much longer though, now let's see...” He tapped some buttons on the console. “Yes, there we go. Look at this, babe.” He grabbed her chin to force her to look at the screen he'd just got up with a video feed into Hero's Pass. It wasn't very close to the barge but she could see the fighting on it from where the drone they were viewing through was.

 

“Oh dear, not good odds.” Jack chuckles. 

 

“They’ve handled worse.” She wished she was as confident as that sounded.

 

Jack presses some more buttons to get the surveyor to move closer so she sees the vault hunters trying to reach them before she sees Brick and Mordecai trying to fight off the onslaught on the barge.

 

Jack taps his fingers. “Hmm,” She glances at him. They were clearly doing better than he expected despite what was now obvious injuries. She managed to smile - she had to believe they would get through this but Brick was half supporting Mordecai and, although Brick had made the jump across, they would have to clear a bunch of loaders to make it back if they even could after the fight. Jack clicks a button. “Can you get a shot at that ship?” He says into the console then waits a moment for the AI response.

 

_ Hyperion AI: locking onto drop barge _

_ Mordecai: Crap -- they got a lock on us! _

 

“No!” Lilith yells, trying to get free from the restraints and injectors. “Jack, don't!” 

 

Jack glares at her. “Give me one good reason why you lot deserve mercy?” He shot back. “It'll be quick and painless, that's much more than I owe them,” he grins again, “and much more than you'll get.”

 

She watches the moonshot hit the barge as Brick and Mordecai try to gain some shelter and protection inside it rather than out on the loading dock. She's not sure if it kills them outright given that but the barge falls into lava right after and she can’t see them in the explosions and mass of loaders so she can only assume the worst. Jack speaks menacingly into the comms.

 

_ Jack: Well, that’s two more vault hunters down. Now it’s just you, me, and Lilith here. Don’t keep me waiting. _

 

She’s still staring at the wreckage of the drop barge. She barely registers him talking to the vault hunters still working their way through Hero’s Pass. They should have stayed in Sanctuary, she thinks, sent the new team and stayed back to protect Sanctuary if the worst happened… but she also knows she would have done exactly same thing, did really at Control Core Angel. And she knows both of them they wouldn’t let the others come in here without their support and protection even if it ended up painting a target on their backs to do so. 

 

Jack snaps his fingers in front of her face. “You haven’t been listening.” He admonishes her then follows her eyes. “Still. Perhaps I should allow you some time to grieve, now you’re the last of your little band of misfits.” 

 

She swung her gaze to him. “Shut up.” She snaps. “What would you know? You’ve replaced you key charger without a second thought to her.” Jack looks momentarily stunned. “What would you know about grief?”

 

Jack’s gaze hardened. “I loved my daughter.”

 

“You have a funny way of showing it.” She spat. “This. Hurts. Jack. Do you want to know how much this was hurting her? I can tell you.”

 

“Shut up!” Jack hit her again. “Shut up! Don’t you dare talk about her!”

 

“Is that guilt finally?” Lilith asks - she didn’t care anymore. Like Jack says, she was the last one left and right now there was nothing else he could do to her.

 

“Oh, you are going to watch this planet burn.” Jack promises. “The key’s at 98% and we have company - I could let the warrior have these particular thorns in my side but I think I’ll take the satisfaction myself.” 

 

He turns to where the team of vault hunters are standing.

 

_ You’re right on time -- the key’s nearly ready! _

_ But before I cleanse this planet for good, I am gonna avenge my daughter! _

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](fearlessstateofmind.tumblr.com) if needed/you fancy a chat


End file.
